By Madeleine Davies, The Church Times

The human-rights lawyer who is risking his life by defending Asia Bibi has denounced the blasphemy law under which she has been sentenced to death as a "tool of oppression".

Her lawyer, Naeem Shakir, told an audience at Westminster Abbey on Saturday that the international community must put pressure on the Pakistani authorities to reform the law. "Sharing your concern from wherever you are is important," he said, because "no change is forthcoming, due to the unavailability of any kind of dialogue. . . We do not find anywhere to seriously deliberate these issues."

He went on: "Political actors are not concerned . . . to deliver justice. . . . They do not want to distress their constituencies by disturbing the religious extremists."

Read the full article at http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2014/5-december/news/world/asia-bibi-no-release-without-international-pressure-lawyer-says